Distributed Explicit Partial Rerouting (DEPR) Scheme for Load Balancing in MPLS Networks

Traffic engineering is one of the important enhancements introduced by the deployment of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) into IP-networks. Minimizing congestion is a central goal of traffic engineering as it degrades the overall network performance. We propose the Distributed Explicit Partial Rerouting (DEPR) scheme as a reactive congestion removal for MPLS networks. DEPR removes congestion by rerouting the LSPs crossing the congested link to a partial route set up around the congested link (unlike other methods that re-establish the full route from the source to the destination). The scheme is shown to adapt quickly to network dynamics and to scale well with large networks. It also enhances the overall network throughput and delay performance.